Economic summit message: It’s up to us

By Chauncey Bailey
PHOTOS BY Z’MA WYATT

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums has called for a sustained and concerted drive for economic revival in the city, backed by green technology, thousands of jobs and public-private alliances. The campaign will be called the Oakland Partnership.

    “The goal is 10,000 jobs in the next five years,” said Dellums in a speech to attendees at an Economic Summit at the downtown convention center last week. “That is about taking action.” Dellums also unveiled a plan by Pacific Gas &Electric to spend $3 million over the next three years to reduce greenhouse gases.

    The Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce also released a study to support business retention and expansion while tapping into new fields such as biotech which will create many high-paying jobs.

    Dellums said he wants to form “a leadership council” consisting of business, labor, education and community groups. Chamber “cluster groups” will also be organized to coordinate with city task forces which have already come up with policy recommendations in a variety of areas.
    Former city Manager Henry Gardner said the goal is “creating an environment where businesses can thrive and there are good schools and jobs for our collective general welfare.”

    The summit showcased reports from various task forces on issues ranging from zoning and development to the arts.
    Bob Schwartz of the Planning and Land Use Task Force said “the zoning code needs to be updated to conform with the new general plan.”
    Lenny Mendonca said in his report on the Oakland economy that the city needs to pursue biotech jobs and improve its maritime port to bring in more trade and “create the image that Oakland is a good place to do business,” he said.
    Oakland’s assets include its central location, great weather, a diverse population, and deep community involvement, he said. Other positives include the fact that Oakland is a transportation hub and one of the top 10 “green cities” in the United States Oakland is already leading the nation for use of renewal energy and wants to be free of oil by 2020.
    The summit attendees also learned that the 15 firms contracted to rebuild the damaged Maze freeway connector will be hiring a diverse workforce.